PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Birmingham, Michigan (October 7, 2024) - Bloom Senior Living, the family-owned provider of seniors housing for over 50-years, launched its 2024-2025 Flu Prevention and Response Plan ("Flu Plan") across its communities throughout Indiana, South Carolina and Louisiana in order to continue protecting its residents and associates from communicable diseases as we enter influenza season. Bloom has significantly reduced infection, hospitalization and mortality rates during prior influenza seasons by following its Flu Plan. 

With the average Bloom resident over 80 years old and part of a population that is susceptible to infection and hospitalization, the health and wellness of Bloom residents is our main priority. As you may recall, Bloom implemented a new aggressive Flu Plan, with coordination from its Nursing and Education Teams, in 2017 that has been successful. The Flu Plan was designed to provide protection and prevent as many infections as possible for residents and associates; re-train Bloom associates on effective means of infection prevention; provide education to associates, residents and visitors around their role in preventing an outbreak; provide guidance on how to contain an outbreak efficiently to prevent further infections from occurring; and measure Bloom's results and success. In other words, as with other Bloom clinical programs, the approach was multi-pronged and focused upon: (1) prevention, (2) education and (3) monitoring. The Flu Plan has been incorporated into Bloom's policies and procedures and become an annual initiative every Fall.

PREVENTION

As part of the prevention portion of our Flu Plan, Bloom residents will be requested to obtain flu vaccinations at onsite Bloom clinics (at each community) during October 2024 at no cost to them. Based upon experience, we believe a vast majority of Bloom residents will pursue vaccinations. Additionally, Bloom will offer associates flu vaccinations at no cost to them if they do not have insurance. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is promoting a campaign this year, like last year, called "Mild to Wild" to show how flu vaccination can tame flu symptoms from being "wild" to "mild" in people who get vaccinated but still get sick. The CDC said: "[t]he intent of the Wild to Mild campaign is to reset public expectations around what a flu vaccine can do in the event that it does not entirely prevent illness...Participants found this information useful and even motivational in consumer testing."

EDUCATION

As part of the education portion of our Flu Plan, Bloom associates will be required to attend in-service trainings during October 2024, which will further highlight the importance of receiving vaccinations. Bloom will also be communicating with residents, families and associates by e-mail, social media posts, virtual educational events and visible posters throughout the community regarding various informative guidelines, the components and benefits of the flu campaign, recent information for the 2024-2025 influenza season, the importance of flu vaccination, how to identify flu symptoms in the senior population, the necessity of hand washing for all associates and residents and other disinfecting products and protocols, details to prevent and manage the spread of infection / outbreaks, antiviral medical guidelines, and other related information. We'll also be running a campaign during National Influenza Vaccination Week observed December 2-6, 2024.

 MONITORING

As part of the monitoring portions of our Flu Plan, Bloom will monitor residents and associates who have/have not been vaccinated. Bloom's Owner and Director of Operations, along with Bloom's Leadership Teams, will monitor the occurrences of influenza and intervention.

Bloom is committed to acting with urgency in order to mitigate the effects of the flu, and keep our residents safe and happy in their Bloom homes.

Additional Resources from the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention can be found by clicking here: